Leave of Absence
by liz1967
Summary: M has come up missing and it's up to James and friends to find her, and find out what's wrong.
1. Chapter 1

**Sometimes a bad day at work can provide great inspiration.**

James, just back from his latest mission swiftly made his way up to M's office. As it was still rather early he was almost certain she would not have left for the day yet. As he entered the outer office he saw Bill Tanner sitting at Eve's desk working on the computer and the door to M's office was open, but the light was off which seemed odd as left she never her office door open

"Good afternoon Tanner, Where's M?" asked James slightly puzzled

"Good afternoon 007" replied Tanner not looking up from his monitor

"Well" said James a bit impatient

"Right. She's...she's not here at the moment"

"Well I deduced that from the fact that her office light is off. Can you tell me where she is?" he asked

"I really don't know" replied Tanner evasively

"What do you mean you don't know. You're her assistant aren't you? isn't it your job to know where she is?" asked James a bit more insistently

"Look...007" said Tanner leaning across the desk and lowering his voice "All I know is that she left for a private meeting hours ago and then phoned and said she would be out for an extended amount of time"

"Well what the hell does that mean? An extended amount of time?"

"I have no idea, honestly. It's not like her to just up and leave with no explanation. I wish I could tell you more, but I just don't have any answers" he replied sounding a bit bewildered

"It's alright Tanner. I'll see what I can find out. Who was her meeting with anyway?"

"It was with Mr. Mallory and some other members of the Security and Intelligence Committee" he replied

James left the office slightly confused and very concerned. It wasn't like M to just leave with no explanation. Something was wrong, very wrong and he was determined to find out just what it was, so he headed straight for M's flat. Once he arrived at her flat he did his usual routine of clearing the area before prying open the kitchen window and letting himself in carefully so as not to be seen by her neighbors. This was a bit trickier than usual as it was still fairly light outside, but he managed to enter without being seen just the same. The flat was extraordinarily quiet as he made his way thru to the sitting room only to find it empty. He continued to search the flat until every last room had been checked thoroughly but she wasn't there. "Well I'll just have to wait" he thought as he sat down on her sofa. the minutes turned into hours and before he knew it, it was going on a quarter to three in the morning and still no M. The concern he had been feeling quickly turned to full blown panic as he dialed Tanner.

"Tanner...Yes I know it's quarter to three in the morning but M's missing. She hasn't returned home...Never mind how I know that, Just believe me when I tell you she isn't here." the distress was clearly evident in his voice "Can you meet me at the office in say about twenty minutes?"

TO BE CONTINUED...


	2. Chapter 2 It only takes a PING

**Sorry these chapters are a bit shorter for now. I'm sure they will get longer with time, they always do.**

James arrived at the office fully expecting to have to wait for Tanner, but much to his surprise Tanner was waiting for him with a rather worried look on his face.

"Tanner how did you get here so fast?"

"Truth of the matter is I never left" replied Tanner flatly

"What do you mean you never left?"

"Well I decided to check with some of my contacts at Whitehall to see what I could find out"

"And?"

"Nothing. If anyone knows what happened in that meeting they're not saying" he said sounding rather annoyed "So I decided to contact M's driver to see what he knew"

"Go on" said James

"He said he took her home around two o'clock"

"That's it?"

"He said she seemed very distracted and very quiet but other than that nothing out of the ordinary"

"So basically all we know is that she went to a meeting at Whitehall in the morning and was taken home around two o'clock" replied James sounding rather frustrated

"Well, Not exactly. Come with me" said Tanner as he headed toward the lift

"Where are we going?" asked James with a puzzled look on his face

"We're going to Q branch. After hitting dead end after dead end I decided to enlist the help of the geek squad" he replied with a half smile.

Once they reached the bottom floor it was only a few steps until they were in the Q branch lab. Due to the lateness of the hour the lab was all but deserted, all except for Q, who was busily tapping away at his computer.

"Q. Have you been able to find out anything yet?" asked Tanner anxiously as James looked on in amazement.

"Good Morning Mr. Tanner...007, I was just going over the data now."

"What's he talking about? What data?" asked James sounding a bit mystified

"Let me bring you, well both of you up to speed" said Q turning to face them "Mr. Tanner has explained the situation regarding M's disappearance and the lack of information, so I've taken what we DO know and constructed a timeline in order to better be able to pinpoint her exact location."

"Any idiot could do that!" snapped James "She went to a meeting in the morning, She was taken home at Two o'clock in the afternoon. End of timeline" the frustration was clearly visible on his face and in his voice

"Not quite" said Q smugly "I was able to determine that M called for a cab at Two Twenty- Five which took her to Victoria station"

"And just how do you know that?" asked James dryly

"007. Have you forgotten just what business it is that we are in?" asked Q looking at James as though he had grown a second head. " I simply traced her call, and then contacted the Cab company for conformation"

"Oh. right" replied James feeling rather foolish.

"So you traced her cell phone, and then what?" asked Tanner anxiously

"No. Not her cell phone. She has turned it off. I traced her home phone." replied Q as he turned back to the multiple monitors behind him

"Oh great" muttered James under his breath

"Oh great is right" continued Q. "Once I determined the time she would have arrived at the station I cross checked all of the trains that were departing so we would have a better idea of where to start looking."

"Wouldn't it have just been simpler to check her credit cards for any recent activity?" asked Tanner as more of a statement rather than a question

"Ordinarily I would agree with you, but it appears that she paid with cash making it nearly impossible to track. Look you two are forgetting that she was once an agent herself. If she wants to be off the grid than she knows about a thousand different ways to do it" replied Q

James, Tanner and Q were all so busy looking at the monitors that they failed to notice that they were no longer alone in the lab. Tanner turned around just in time to see Gareth Mallory standing behind them and quickly tapped James on the shoulder to get his attention.

"Gentlemen" said Mallory quietly

"Mr. Mallory, Sir. How can I...we help you?' asked Tanner tensely

"I assume this is not necessarily official business" he replied as he arched his eyebrow with a slight hint of disapproval

"Strictly speaking Sir, No...not exactly" replied Q sounding anxious

"Can I assume that it is a matter of great importance given the hour?" he asked narrowing his eyes a bit

"Well you could say that" replied James

"Can I also assume that it has something to do with M and her present whereabouts?"

"Sir?" replied James suspiciously

"Look. I was not at all pleased with the outcome of our meeting this morning and have been trying for several hours to contact her myself, but apparently she has turned off her phone."

"I see" said James still suspicious of Mallory's motives

"So why don't you tell me what you've got and maybe I can help" said Mallory

"Sir, you do realize that using the resources here for personal use is strictly against policy" said Tanner

"I don't think that locating the head of MI6 is considered a personal use of resources do you Mr. Tanner?" replied Mallory as he came to stand next to Q to study the screen.

"No. I suppose not." answered Tanner rather sheepishly

"I don't suppose you would care to share with us just what happened at the meeting this morning" asked James cautiously

"I can't. It's classified" relied Mallory flatly

Q, who had been tapping away on his keyboard, finally spoke up.

"I've got her" he said almost sounding triumphant "Well at least I know for a fact that she did enter the station. If you look here at this CCTV footage you can clearly see her enter the station"

"Great!" said Mallory "Then you should be able to track her to the ticket counter and determine where she's gone"

"Well...not exactly." replied Q sounding perplexed

"What do you mean not exactly?" demanded James

"She somehow managed to avoid nearly every camera in the building. There is no other footage of her at the station" he said shaking his head in almost disbelief. "I said it before. She WAS an agent. avoiding security cameras would be child's play for her"

"So what are our options now?" asked James quietly

"Now we wait." replied Q "I've set up the system to PING her cell phone every 3 seconds. If she turns it on for even a nano-second we will be able to trace her" he said optimistically

"Right then" said Mallory as he turned to leave. "Keep me apprised of any developments"

"Sir" began Tanner cautiously "What do we say should anyone ask what we're doing?"

"Tell them you are working on a Special assignment for me. Believe it or not I am just as concerned about M as the rest of you. She's very lucky to have such good agents and friends like you." he replied with notable concern in his voice "Carry on"

"So what now?" asked James impatiently

"Now. We wait."


	3. Chapter 3 Rock, Paper scissors

**For RebaForever15. Ok so I'll answer part of the question as to why she left but it's not the entire reason. Sorry for the little cliffhangers. Prosper taught me well HEHE**

James, Tanner and Q spent the remainder of the night or rather morning hovering around the monitors just waiting for M to turn on her phone.

"You would think she would at least check for messages!" said Q rather irritated with the whole waiting business

"I take it patience is a virtue you do not possess" replied James with a slight smile

"This is why I work in the lab and you work in the field" snapped Q

"She's probably still asleep" quipped Tanner from the corner where he had fallen asleep

"Not bloody likely knowing her" replied James stoically

It was nearly Seven when it finally happened. The PING they had been waiting for.

"I've got her" shouted Q as he quickly began tracing the signal

"Where is she?" asked James and Tanner in unison as they crowded around the desk

"She's in a little village down near Dover" replied Q as he continued to try to pinpoint her exact location down to the nearest meter. "And she's gone" snapped Q as the signal disappeared.

"Let's go" said Tanner anxiously as he reached for his coat

"Where do you think you're going?" asked James

"I'm going with you." he said sounding puzzled by the question

"No. I need you to stay here. Someone has to stay and run the office and find out just what the hell happened. I'll go" replied James firmly

"Well, I am her assistant. She'll talk to me" retorted Tanner

"If she didn't tell you what happened on the phone, then she won't tell you in person either. I'll go." answered James who was getting slightly annoyed with the conversation

"Alright there's only one way to settle this. Rock, Paper Scissors. Best two out of three" replied Tanner with a look of total determination

"Are you serious?" said James unsure of whether to laugh or be angry

"She's my boss and my friend, so yes I'm serious!"

"I'm sorry Tanner. I know you care about her, But the best way to help her right now is to stay here. I promise I will find her and bring her back. " He said heading for the door

"Fine" replied Tanner, clearly not happy with the decision but agreeing anyway.

"Someone should alert Mallory, He did say he wanted to kept in the loop on this"

"I'll do it" replied Tanner in a less than cheery tone

"Do whatever it takes to drag out of him what happened at that meeting so I know what sort of situation I'm dealing when I get there" yelled James at the door to the lab slid shut.

With James on his way to Dover, Tanner decided that it would be best to talk to Mallory directly so he headed to his office. As he entered the building, Tanner couldn't help but notice the fact that Mallory's office staff seemed to be whispering and staring at him. He did manage to overhear one conversation mentioning the fact that they couldn't believe that SHE had been sacked. With this bit of information Tanner angrily made his way up to Mallory's office and demanded to speak with him.

"Mr. Tanner. I assume you have news?" said Mallory anxiously

Tanner closed the door and glared at Mallory

"Just when exactly were you planning to tell us that she's been sacked?" demanded Tanner

"What are you talking about?" asked Mallory looking confused by the statement

"M. You've sacked her haven't you. That's why she left!"

"I don't know where you heard that, but it isn't true" Mallory replied calmly

"Really! because that's what you're entire office is talking about this morning"

"Sit down Mr. Tanner." replied Mallory letting out a deep sigh

Tanner did as he was told, although sitting down was not going to calm him down in the least.

"Let me begin with saying that M has not been "Sacked" as you put it. I shouldn't be telling you this, but under the circumstances it is her best interest that you be aware of the situation." said Mallory as he rose from his desk and came to sit in the chair near Tanner

"Yesterday's meeting was more of a review of M's performance as head of the department over the last several months. As you know there have been some questionable incidents that have taken place including excessive expenses, her ability to control her agents and even the loss of 2 agents. Some of the Committee members thought it would be a good idea for M to take a leave of absence while they conduct full investigation into her management of this department. Some of the Committee members went so far as to question whether her loyalty is to Queen and Country or to her agents"

Tanner just sat there, stunned by what he was hearing.

"I, for, one was vehemently opposed to this action, however I have the benefit of knowing all of the facts behind the missions, I also have never doubted for a moment her loyalty or her ability to run this department, but I was simply out voted." he said angrily

"So that's why she left" replied Tanner quietly

"I think that's part of it. M is a smart woman. She has an exemplary record, and she knows that she has nothing to hide and the investigation, albeit annoying, will not turn up anything to indicate her lack of ability to run this department."

"If that's the case then why did she leave?" asked Tanner

"I don't know. That's what I need you and 007 to find out." replied Mallory apprehensively

"What about the Committee members, I mean wont the see her leaving as a sign of guilt?" asked Tanner cautiously

"I'll deal with them. You just concentrate on finding her and bringing her home" he replied stoically

"We're already on that" said Tanner sounding a bit more optimistic

"I assume then that you've located her?"

"Bond is on his way as we speak sir" he replied

"Right then. Keep me informed"

"Yes sir" said Tanner as he rose to leave the office

"And Tanner, I meant what I said earlier. She's very lucky to have you two. I'm not sure what is going on, but I think she could use a friend or two right now."

TO BE CONTIUNED...


	4. Chapter 4 Following the Trail

**For RebaForevera15. Sorry another cliff hanger. and for Prosper the VIII I thought it was only fair to tell you who to be mad at since it itn's Mallory this time :)**

James opted to take a company vehicle on his trip to Dover. For one thing Q could track him more easily and for another, it was less conspicuous and if he had any hope of convincing her to come back with him it would be more comfortable than his Aston Martin.

"Q. were you able to pinpoint a more exact location?" asked James as he sped down the road toward Dover

"I can give you a general location. She's in Saint Margaret's at cliffe. It's about a mile from Dover. Where are you now?" Q asked studying the map on his monitor.

"Just passing Canterbury as we speak on the A2" replied James as he was weaving in and out of traffic

"Alright. stay on the A2 until you get to Upper road. Go north a few miles and you'll run right into the town. From there you're on your own unless she turns her phone on again" Q replied

"Right" said James

Once James entered the town it was easy to see why Q couldn't exactly pinpoint M's location earlier. The town sat high up on the cliffs overlooking Saint Margaret's bay, and had a beautiful white light house, several shops, a 12th century parish church, a village hall, a post office and several pubs.

"Alright Q I'm in the town do you have anything more specific you can give me?"

" She's turned on her phone again, but only for a second. You will need to turn on a street called Jubilee Way. It only goes one direction. She's somewhere in that general vicinity" remarked Q somewhat frustrated that he couldn't be more exact

"Thanks Q, I'll take it from here." replied James as he turned onto the road as instructed.

As James drove down the street looking for anyplace that might look like a place M would go Tanner Called to bring him up to speed on his conversation with Mallory.

"Bond. I spoke to Mallory this morning and he was able to shed a little light on what happened at the meeting yesterday"  
"Go On" replied James as he pulled over so he could direct his full attention to Tanner

"Apparently the Security and Intelligence Committee voted that M should take a leave of absence pending a full investigation into her leadership of the department, A decision Mallory says he was deeply opposed to, in fact he fought against it, but he was outvoted."

"And you believe him?" replied James sharply as his anger was clearly evident in his voice

"I did some checking when I got back to the office and it would appear that this action was initiated by Claire Dowar, MP and she had done a lot of talking before the meeting to gain the support of the majority of the Committee, so yes I believe him" replied Tanner

"So just what is it they are investigating exactly?" asked James sounding puzzled

"They're not just questioning her leadership ability but her loyalty as well" replied Tanner angrily

"Well, That explains it" said James dryly

"It explains what?" asked Tanner confused by the statement

"It explains why she left. M would never run from a fight, especially not when she has nothing to hide, but to question her loyalty is an entirely different matter. Loyalty is the one thing she values above everything else."

"I see" replied Tanner quietly

"Look if I'm going to find her I had better get going. I'll contact you later with any progress. "

James parked the car and got out to get an idea of the surrounding area. It was mostly rural so there weren't many places to hide. He walked along the street looking at the cottages until he was just about to the end when he spotted a small, cottage that sat back from the street and was partially concealed by some rather tall bushes. "It's worth a try" he thought as he quietly made his way closer so he could get a look in the window. The cottage was rather small and he could see straight thru to the other side but it didn't appear that anyone was home. He was about to leave when he noticed a rather familiar half empty bottle of Macallen sitting on the table. It was then that M made her presence known.

"Just what the Hell are you doing here!" she said angrily

"M." was all he could say before she cut him off

"I would have thought it was quite evident that I did not wish to be disturbed as I did not leave a number where I could be reached!" she said sharply as she walked past him toward the front door

"M. We were worried about you" he said genuinely concerned as he turned to follow her

"Well, you've seen me, you can see that I am fine. Now if you don't mind would you please leave!" she said furiously as she entered the cottage with James close behind

"M. I don't mean to pry but..."

"Then don't!" she said as she attempted to push him back out the door

"M" he said gently but firmly seizing her wrists "Won't you please tell me what's wrong?"

"I said Get Out!" she shouted sternly as she tried wiggle out of his grip on her wrists

James quickly overpowered her and turned her around and wrapping his arms around hers to keep control of her while he shut the door.

"M. I'm not leaving until you tell me why you really left!" he said as he maneuvered her over to the sofa and forced her to sit

M just glared at him with one of her famous icy glares as he sat on the coffee table in front of her keeping hold or her wrists so that she couldn't get up. M just sat there glaring at him as he began to speak.

"M. I know what happened at the meeting yesterday" he said calmly "I know they forced you to take what they called a "voluntary" leave of absence while they conduct their little "Investigation" into your leadership of the department over the last few months. I can understand your being angry at their unfounded acquisitions, but that's not why you left is it?" he said quietly waiting for her to acknowledge his question.

When he finally felt her relax he released his grip on her wrists allowing her to lean back against the cushions of the sofa. He couldn't quite pin down the expression on her face as it was one of pain, anger, fear and a tremendous amount of sadness all rolled into one. She continued to stare at him blankly.

"M. It's me, James...Won't you please just talk to me" he said pleading with her in a tone that was almost heartbreaking as he took her hands gently in his "Please"

TO BE CONTINUED...


	5. Chapter 5 The Truth

**Ok RebaForever15. Here is the chapter you've been waiting for. Hope it was worth the wait, but just remember it's not the end, at least not yet :)**

James and M sat in silence for quite a long time with her staring blankly at him and him back at her just waiting for her to speak. He could tell by her expression that she wanted to talk, She needed to talk but every time she was about to speak she would stop and sigh and go back to staring. When James was certain she was not going to try to bolt from the sofa he shifted around to sit beside her, still holding her hand.

"You know we could keep this up all day if you like, or you could just tell me what is the matter" he said softly as he caressed her hand

She just shook her head and continued to stare.

"M. Please just tell me what is the matter. I can't help if you don't tell me" he said as her silence was starting to alarm him

M finally started to try get up from the sofa, and James not sure of what she was going to do tightened his grip on her hand.

"Don' worry" she said quietly "I'm not going to try to run away. I was just going to get a drink. Would you like one as well" she asked

"Fine" he said as he watched her walk to the table to retrieve the half empty bottle of Macallen and two glasses

When she returned she handed him his glass, filled both glasses and placed to bottle on the table in front of them. She had her glass in one hand and was rubbing her forehead with her other hand. Her physical appearance caused James a great deal of concern as she looked exhausted, almost like she hadn't slept for days. When she had finished her drink James took her glass and placed it along with his on the table and turned to face her. He wasn't prepared for what followed next as M began to speak.

"Do you ever wonder why we do what we do" she asked rather poignantly

"I mean no matter how hard we try or how good we are it's never enough is it? so what is the point. , It's as if what we do doesn't matter?" she said turning to face him with tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"We devote our entire lives to the service of Queen and Country and for what, So that we can be criticized , so that our motives and our loyalty can be called into question, and the worst part is that no matter how hard we try, the evil is still out there. It's as if what we do makes no difference at all. It's never enough...I'm never enough" she said choking back her tears

"Enough what?" he asked sounding a bit puzzled

"Enough good" she said as her tears started to fall

"M" replied James softly as he put his arm around her and pulled her close "I don't know who's put this into your head, but you are most certainly good enough and the things you do, the decisions you make do matter" he said "We can't always see the end result of what we do, but our actions, your decisions have long lasting, positive effects on the lives of thousands perhaps millions of people all over the world, so to say that we make no difference is wrong." he answered tilting her chin up so he could look into her eyes "There will always be evil in the world, and in a strange way that is a good thing, otherwise we would both be out of jobs" he said wiping away her tears and placing a soft kiss on her forehead

"It looks as though I will be out of a job anyway" she replied drawing her legs up onto the sofa and curling up closer to James.

"Why do you say that?" he asked turning slightly so that she could curl up more comfortably in the hollow of his arm.

"That woman, Clair Dower. She so much as implied that I am too old, That I've lost my edge, that I am no longer of capable of performing my duties effectively at MI6. She said that my relationship with my agents has somehow clouded my judgment thus calling into question just where my loyalties lie. She went on to say that due to my tendency to turn the occasional blind eye to the behavior of my agents, I have single handedly caused the deaths of 2 agents and have..."

James suddenly interrupted her as he didn't want to hear any more of what that woman had to say.

"That is complete and total rubbish and you know it!" he said angrily "Anyone with half a brain knows exactly where your loyalties lie. You've devoted your entire life to Queen and Country, and as for your agents, You care about them deeply, there is nothing wrong with that. We risk our lives every day and it is a comfort to know that there is someone on the other end of the line that understands, that actually cares whether we live or die"

"But the fact remains that at the end of the day, when all is said and done, the success and or failure of every mission rests with me and only me. The fact that I continually defend my agents for their recklessness, their collateral damage they cause, their lack of judgment and their constant insubordination doesn't bode well for me" she said as she attempted to conceal a small yawn

"M. What you do matters to a lot of people. Sure you may have missed a step here or there, who hasn't, but the fact remains that at the end of the day the world, our world is a better place because of you and the decisions you make, don't ever forget that" he replied leaning down to kiss her gently on the lips.

"Bond. It is this type of behavior that got me into this mess" she said half-heartedly

"Well, I'll tell you what. Why don't we sort it all out in the morning" he said as he shifted enough to put his arms around her and pick her up as he stood up

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked with a startled look

"It's been a very long and trying day for both of us and you're exhausted. I think we could both use some sleep" he said as he walked toward the bedroom.

"But you can't...we can't..." she started to say

"M. right now what you need more than anything is a friend, so that's what I intend to be. All I want to do is hold you, comfort you and keep you safe" he said as he laid her on the bed and climbed in beside her and wrapped his arms protectively around her.. "I love you M" he said quietly as he rested his head on top of hers " And I promise we will sort this all out in the morning"

"I love you too James" she said sleepily as she snuggled closer to him.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	6. Chapter 6 Unfinished Business

**For RebaForever15 and Prosper the XVIII She's back! :) This would have been easier if I hadn't kept changing the title of the chapter ;)**

It was still rather early when James woke up to find M much in the same position as she was when she fell asleep, curled up beside him with her arms around him and holding on for dear life. "How the hell could this have happened?" he thought to himself as he watched her sleep. James gently untangled himself from M and went to the kitchen to call Tanner and update him on the latest developments.

"Tanner...Yea I know it's early. I just wanted to give you an update...Yes I found her...Yea I know I said I would call when I did, but things got a little tricky and there wasn't time...No she's fine...Well she's not suicidal if that's what you're asking. No it's more a case of severe depression...Well why do you think, they questioned her loyalty, She's been criticized before, but no one has ever had the nerve to question her loyalty and it's caused her to doubt herself and that's something she has never done before..." As James was about to continue the conversation he heard a noise from the bedroom "Look I've got to go. I'll call you later"

James turned around to find M leaning against the door watching and listening to his conversation with Tanner.

"Calling to give an update I suppose" she said dryly

"M. They're worried about you." he said as he walked toward her

She managed to sidestep him and head toward the coffee pot on the counter

"Coffee?"

"That would be nice" he replied a bit surprised by her attempt to avoid him

As she began to make the coffee James noticed that her hands were trembling, so he went to stand behind her, putting his arms around her and gently grasping her hands pulling her back into his chest.

"M. What is it?" he asked as he could feel her resist his hold on her

"I don't know how to do this" she said quietly

"Do what? make coffee?" he said in an attempt to lighten the mood

"Do be serious" she said pulling away from him

"Then do what?' he asked in a more serious tone

"I don't know how to let go." she replied as she sat down at the table

"And just what are you supposed to be letting go of?" he asked as he kneeled in front of her taking her hands in his

"This job has been my entire life for as long as I can remember. I know it can't last forever, I know the Committee wants me to retire, I know that Mallory can't hardly wait to take over, He's probably jumping for joy as we speak" she said slightly irritated

"Well you're right, It can't last forever, however, as for Mallory you couldn't be more wrong" he said lowering his head into a most uncomfortable position so that he could look her in the eye

"What do you mean?" she asked lifting her head to meet his gaze

"Just who do you think gave the orders to find you?"

"I assume Mallory because he can't wait to sack me himself" she said bluntly

"It may interest you to know that he's worried about you, That after you left the meeting he fought for you, because as he said, he has the benefit of knowing the details of the missions and he has never once questioned you decisions or your loyalty" replied James

M just stared at James with a look of disbelief

"And as for your relationship with your agents, He knows that in some weird way. We and by We I mean you and your agents are quite possibly the most dysfunctional "Family" to ever grace the planet, but we are a Family of sorts just the same, And your loyalty the us is just as important as your loyalty to Queen and Country. You can't have one without the other" he said reaching up to cup her cheek

James gently slid his hand around to the back of M's neck and pulled her forward causing her to lose her balance and fall off the chair landing on James in the process. The total look of surprise on M's face was priceless as she found herself on top of James trying to balance herself with her hands on either side of his head as he began to laugh.

"I take it this wasn't quite what you had intended?" she snapped with a hint of mock anger

"Not exactly" He said still laughing as he wrapped his arms around her and in one swift move, flipped them over so that she was beneath him.

"James What do you think you're doing?" she said suddenly completely serious

"What I should have done a long time ago" he replied bending down to kiss her gently but firmly

At first she struggled against him but she soon gave in and wrapped her arms around him pulling him closer and returning the kiss.

"James" she said in between kisses "We can't do this"

"Well I have to admit the kitchen floor wasn't exactly what I had in mind" he said pulling back to flash her a wide grin

"That's not what I meant" she replied slightly annoyed with his answer

"So just exactly is it we can't do?" he asked while placing soft kisses all over her face

"I'm too old for this" she said flatly

"What's that supposed to mean?" said James abruptly stopping what he was doing to look at her

"Just what I said, I'm simply too old for all of this, Maybe they were right, maybe it's time to call it quits" she said looking away from him

"I seem to have lost the thread of this conversation, are we talking about making love on the kitchen floor or are we talking about your job?" he asked sounding extremely puzzled

"Both I suppose" she said sliding out from beneath him to sit up

James sat up and put his arm around her, His mind was racing to find the right words to convince her she was wrong. "It's time to try another approach since this one clearly wasn't working" he thought to himself

"FINE!" he said removing his arm and getting up "Maybe you're right, you are too old to do your job and I guess you're too old for this as well!" he said heading toward the sitting room leaving her sitting on the floor alone.

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" she said sounding both angry and hurt

"Don't yell at me, I was just agreeing with you" he snapped

"Did anyone ever tell you that you suck at pep talks!" she replied sarcastically

"Did anyone ever tell you that you are a terrible liar!" he retorted

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" she demanded

"You honestly expect me to believe that you think that you are too old? That you believe that load of crap the committee is shoving down your throat? That's NOT the M I know, and it certainly isn't the M I love. My M would never in a million years take any of this lying down, she would fight this to the bitter end" he snapped "But maybe you're right. Maybe you're not that M anymore" he said quietly as he turned his head away from her.

James could see her face in the mirror and he could see by her expression that he had gotten the exact reaction he was hoping for. M's eyes narrowed as she prepared to let loose with one hell of a rant.

"007. When I want your opinion I will ask for it!, As long as I am the head of this department you will treat me with respect do I make myself clear! As for those idiots on the Committee I will show them that I am still in charge. I take my orders from the PM, not a bunch of self-serving prigs who have nothing better to do all day than dream up ridiculous hoops for the rest of us to jump through. When I'm done with them they will wish they had never entertained the idea of asking me to take a leave of absence, let alone had the gall to question my ability or my loyalty!"

James just stood there staring at her with his mouth open, stunned and relieved at her sudden outburst.

"Good to have you back M" he said smiling victoriously as he crossed the room and pulled her into a deep but tender kiss.

"James, Get the Car, I have some unfinished business to take care of"


	7. Chapter 7 Business as Usual

**For RebaForever15, Thanks for the vote of confidence. You always know just what to say. And for Prosper the XVIII I just couldnt help think of you when I wrote the first part of this Chapter. For everyone else who has commented Thank you sooo much. **

James did as he was told and walked down to the car park to retrieve the car. When he returned he found M waiting impatiently outside the cottage.

"Ready to go?" he asked as he put her luggage in the car

"Ready as I'll ever be" she replied as she got in

"I think you're in the wrong seat" said James as he saw M behind the wheel

"No actually I'm not. I'm driving so get in or take the train it makes no difference to me" she replied sharply

He had only meant to wind her up enough to make her see sense, but apparently he was going to be stuck with her No-nonsense, Master of the Universe mood for the rest of the day so he decided not to press his luck any further and got in the passenger side. He hardly had a chance to shut the door before she put the car in gear and stepped on the gas.

"Whoa...where's the fire?" he said trying to fasten his seatbelt as she rounded the corner barley touching the break

"I have a few things to get off my chest and I would like to do it while I'm still in the mood!" she snapped as she sped down Upper road towards the A2

"You do realize that there is a speed limit don't you?" he asked hesitantly so as not to provoke her into another meltdown

"You do realize that this car is equipped with lights and sirens" she answered back as she flipped the switch turning them both on

"Yes, but aren't those only to be used for official business?"

"Well what the hell would you call this? I am officially on my way back to London to kick some official Arse aren't I?" she quipped as she turned onto the A2

"Hard to argue with that statement." he thought to himself while trying to hide his amusement. It was nice to have her spunky, albeit snippy attitude back. Truth be told he didn't much care for the wounded puppy mood, it didn't suit her at all.

The trip back to London was rather quiet as James kept looking over at her watching her rehearse her "proclamation of power" in her head as she drove. She was rather cute when she was angry, and if her mood was any indication of her level of anger than she was bordering on downright stunning at the moment.

M roared into the car park, turned off the car and just sat there holding on to the steering wheel with a death grip.

"You ok?" asked James as he saw the worried expression on her face

"I'm fine, just give me a minute" she said taking a deep breath

"If you want I can go in ahead of you and give them a subtle warning that they may want to run for cover" he said with a nervous laugh

"No that won't be necessary" she replied letting go of the wheel and grasping his hand

"James, if I ask you to do something for me would you do it?" she asked anxiously

"Of course" he replied placing his hand over the top of hers

"I need you to Not insist on going ahead of me to clear the way" she said quietly

"Ok" he replied with a confused look

"But at the same time I don't want you to follow behind to catch me if I fall either" she continued

"Ok"

"I need you to just hold my and stand beside me. Can you do that?" she asked as she turned to look at him

"It would be my pleasure" he said leaning over to kiss her gently

She smiled one of her all too rare brilliant smiles and reached for the door.

"Then let's go" she said confidently as she got out of the car

"Right behind you Ma'am" replied James

The first stop on their little "Leave of Absence My Arse" mission was her office. As she stepped off the lift and marched down the hall James noticed that any sense of apprehension M may have shown earlier was completely gone and she was now functioning on pure adrenaline and sheer determination. As they entered the outer office M noticed that it was completely empty, No Tanner and No Eve.

"Where the Hell are they? Doesn't anyone work around here?" she said under her breath as she opened the door to her office

What she saw when she entered her office left her totally speechless. Standing in her office were Tanner, Eve, Q , most of the lab staff and all but 2 of her agents and Gareth Mallory.

"What the hell is going on here?" she demanded staring at the crowd gathered in her office

"Welcome back M" said Mallory stepping forward to escort her to her desk

"This is all very quaint, but it still doesn't answer my question!" she said sharply staring around the room as she went to sit at her desk

"Well you see Ma'am it's all very simple." Said Tanner approaching her desk "We all decided that if the Committee could conduct a investigation, than the least we could do is help them out by pointing out all of the flaws with their pointless acquisitions."

"We've called in every available agent connected with every mission over the last few months to give a detailed account of what really happened" said Mallory handing her a stack of files

"We intend to keep them so busy with depositions that they will wish they had never brought the subject up" interjected Eve with a wide grin

"As for the loss of the "Gadgets" as they call them, we've found a way to repair or replace nearly every one, well all except for 007's, he never brings anything back to repair, but the fact remains that we have stacks and stacks of documentation showing a relatively small increase to our expenses contrary to what they have said" replied Q with a smug smile

"And as for your loyalty" said Mallory "I have the documentation to prove that when it was necessary you made the tough decisions needed regardless of the personal danger to your agents and we have the proof of how deep that loyalty is by the records of every hospital visit every rehabilitation facility visit even how many bloody bouquets of flowers you have sent"

"Ma"am all due respect, you've come to our defense thousands of times. It's high time we repay the favor" said 004

M was totally speechless. All she could do was stare around the room at all of these wonderful people who were willing to come to her defense.

"But how did you know that I would come back?" she asked sounding a bit puzzled

"007" replied Tanner looking at James with a sly grin

"But when?...He was with me the whole time?" she said looking at James

"That's not entirely true" said James moving to stand in front of her desk "I did leave you alone when I went to retrieve the Car. I took that opportunity to ring Tanner and he arraigned the rest"

"But how did you know I would come here and not go straight to Whitehall?"

"Well I didn't take the company car just because of the lights and sirens" replied James with a wink "Tracking devices can be a beautiful thing sometimes"

"I think we should all get out of here and let M get back to the business of running this department" said Mallory motioning toward the door

As they all filed out of the office, James did his best to blend into the background a bit so that he could speak to M privately. Once they were all gone, M rose from her chair and came around to stand in front of James.

"And what do you suppose you're doing? holding up the wall?" She asked sounding a bit amused

"No. I just wanted to make sure you were alright" he said reaching out to take her hand "You've had a bit of a shock to say the least"

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" she replied flatly pulling her hand back

"I saw the look on your face when you opened the door. You had no idea just how much you mean to so many people did you?"

"Well I have to admit I was a bit surprised to see everyone including Mallory standing in my office" she said still a bit bewildered

"Well it just goes to prove that they all love, and respect you" he answered as he inched toward the door

"Where so you think you're going?" she asked slightly confused you his behavior

"I'm going to let you get back to doing what you do best. Bossing people about, being demanding and unreasonable" he replied with a laugh

"Thank you James" she said softly reaching up to kiss his cheek

"My pleasure" he replied kissing her forehead

As James left the office, Eve and Tanner couldn't help but notice the obvious look of sadness on his face.

"Everything alright?" asked Tanner sounding concerned

"Yeah...It's fine" he replied quietly as he headed toward the lift

"I wonder what's wrong with him" said Eve as she got up to close M's office door. As she did she couldn't help noticing the same look of sadness on M's face as she settled down to work at her desk

"I wonder what's wrong with her as well" she said to Tanner as she closed the door

TO BE CONTIUNED...

You didn't seriously think I would just let it end like this did you :)


	8. Chapter 8 Don't ask

**I know this is a bit short but I've had a lot going on and it would have been impossibly long if I didn't break it up in to two chapters. **

M spent the remainder of her day pouring over the mission files Mallory had left her trying to familiarize herself with every last detail before her meeting with the Committee which had been scheduled for the following morning. As she read the files she found her mind drifting to James and his rather odd behavior. Strange that he had left so suddenly. "Maybe he's just giving me some time and space to deal with this situation" she thought to herself as she redirected her attention back to the files. "Knowing James he will probably meet me later at home. After all the office is not the best place to display my personal feelings for an agent given the current situation."

After reading every last scrap of paper on her desk related to any mission in the last few months, M was finally confident that she had enough ammunition to defend herself from any acquisition they could possible throw at her in the meeting. Most of the office staff except for Tanner and Eve had left hours ago when M finally decided to call it a day. As she opened her door she fond Tanner and Eve still sitting in her outer office diligently working their fingers to the bone making sure that no detail went unnoticed.

"What on earth are you two still doing here?" she asked sounding a bit surprised that they were still working

"Just making sure we have everything we need for tomorrow" replied Tanner trying hard not to yawn

"If I didn't know better I would say that you two are part Golden retriever, steadfast and loyal to the end" she said with a light laugh "If you haven't found it by now it simply doesn't exist so go home the both of you" she said in her best boss voice

"Right ma'am. Would you like me to call you a driver?" asked Tanner as he put away the last of the files he was working on.

"No that won't be necessary" she said as she headed toward the lift "By the way have either of you seen 007 since this morning?" she asked curiously

"Not since he left you office earlier. Why?" replied Eve with a somewhat puzzled look

"Just curious is all" she replied quietly

"He did seem rather quiet when he left"

"Oh...did he? What I mean to say is did he say anything?" asked M sounding a little concerned

"No. He said he was fine and left"

"I see. Well Thank you, both of you for all you've done. I'll see you in the morning" replied M as the same look of sadness she had earlier crept across her face again

"Good night M" they both said in unison as the lift doors closed

"I wonder what's going on?" said Tanner staring at the now closed lift doors

"Call it women's intuition, but I think a whole lot more went on in Dover than either of them is willing to admit" replied Eve as she shut off her computer and grabbed her hand bag

"What's that supposed to mean" asked Tanner with a rather perplexed look on his face as the two of them headed toward the lift

"It means Tanner, Don't ask" replied Eve with a slight grim as she pressed the button

When M finally arrived back at her flat it was nearly One o'clock in the morning and she was exhausted. She half expected to see James fast asleep on her sofa, but when she turned on the light she found the room completely empty. She had to admit that she was a little surprised if not hurt that he wasn't there. It wasn't like him to just disappear when he clearly knew she needed him and was depending on his support in dealing with this whole mess. After all he had promised to stand beside her, but at the moment he seemed to be nowhere to be found. As she made her way upstairs to take a shower she couldn't shake this nagging feeling that something was wrong. He had told her that he loved her and yet once they returned he treated her as though she had somehow contracted the plague. At the time she thought he was joking when he said he would let her get back to what she did best which was bossing people about, being demanding and unreasonable, but now she wasn't so sure he was joking. After she had finished her shower and dressed for bed M just sat at her dressing table staring at her phone. She knew it was late but she wanted, no she needed to talk to him so she dialed his number, only to have the call go directly to voice mail. "That's it!" she muttered to herself as she stood up and headed for the door. "This is ridiculous. If Mohammed won't come to the mountain than this mountain is going to go to Mohammed!"

TO BE CONTIUNED...


	9. Chapter 9 Confessions

**I know I'm dragging this out longer that it needs to be, but I just felt some sort of explinations were in order since it wasnt exactly clear why they were both sad in the last chapter. Sorry...Only another chapter or two. I promise. I know this isn't as cute as some of my other stories but sometines life isn't cute, sometimes it gets a bit messy but sometimes the messy bits are the best bits.**

It was nearly Two in the morning as M drove herself to James' flat without so much as a clue what she was really going to say to him. Every conceivable scenario was running thru her mind as she parked the car and walked up the stairs to his flat. What if he really was just giving her some time and space? or What if everything he said to her in Dover was a lie just to get her to come back and fight? either way she wanted to know the truth.

As she stood outside his door she began to feel rather foolish, after all it was nearly Two in the morning. She knocked on the door lightly and listened to see if she could hear any sign of movement from inside. After a few minutes of nothing she knocked again a bit harder this time, surly he would have heard her this time she thought as she continued to wait. Feeling even more foolish than before, it that was even possible, she knocked one last time. As she was about to turn and leave she heard him undo the lock so she stood stone still waiting for him to open the door.

A half dressed and rather sleepy James finally opened the door only to see a bewildered M staring back at him.

"M?" he said staring back at her "Do you have any idea what time it is?' he asked as he opened the door wide enough for her to come in

"Yes, I apologize. I know it's late but I needed to talk to you and since you have seen fit to turn off your phone, coming here was my only option" she said as she brushed past him

"And just what is so bloody important that it couldn't wait until morning" he replied sounding a bit annoyed

"I just wanted to know why?' she said quietly as she stared at the floor

"Why what?" he asked in a puzzled and sleepy tone

"Why did you come after me? Was it because you wanted to or was it because Mallory ordered you?" she asked lifting her eyes to meet his gaze searching his face for any trace of real emotion.

"How can you even ask that!" he replied angrily

"I just need to know the truth" she said trying to hide the apprehension that was building inside her "When you said you loved me was it because it's true or because you thought it was what I needed to hear in order to bring me back?"

"Sit down" he said firmly motioning to the sofa

"No thank you, I think I'd rather stand" she said in a rather shaky voice

"I said sit down!" he repeated as he closed the distance between them and gently but firmly escorted her to the sofa

"Fine" she replied coolly as she did what she was told

James spent the next few minutes pacing about the room, running his hands through his hair as he tried to formulate his response while M watched him closely from the sofa. When it seemed that he had finally decided what he wanted to say he took a seat on the coffee table in front of her, much like he had done at the cottage, but this time instead of taking her hands in his, he simply clasped his hands together and rested his arms on his knees.

"Do you have any idea how worried I was about you?" he asked sharply "Do you even know how many hours I sat in your flat hoping and praying that you would walk thru that door at any minute and how terrified I was when I realized that you were missing?"

M just sat there staring at James in total silence as he continued to speak

"Did you know that I called Tanner at Three in the morning to meet me at headquarters to start a search for you, only he had already done that being that he never left because he was so concerned about you? Did you know that Q broke just about every rule in the book to try to locate you? Did you know that Mallory didn't just order the search, he helped by classifying it a special mission? Did you know that once Q had located you I broke every land speed record from London to Dover?" he said as his voice began to crack a little

"James, I..." she started to say when he interrupted

"Do you know how helpless I felt when I saw you looking so frightened, so alone?" he said looking away from her Partially out of embarrassment for baring his soul to her and partially because he couldn't bare to see the pain that was now written across her face " I love you, and when you wouldn't talk to me, It nearly killed me to know that you were hurting and there was absolutely nothing I could do" he finished with his voice just barely above a whisper.

"James" she said softly as she reached out to turn his face back to hers "I am so very sorry for all the pain I have caused you" she said as she began to cry "I just didn't know what to do" she choked out in between sniffles "Please know that I love you more than life itself and I would never intentionally hurt you"

"I tried to tell you how I felt about you, Hell I even tried to show you but you kept pulling away" he replied gently taking her hand away from his face. "And then when we returned, you seemed so confident, so like yourself, so business as usual I thought..."

"You thought what"?" she asked with a pained expression

"I thought that's what you wanted. When you pulled your hand away from me, I thought You wanted things to go back to the way it was, Business as Usual. A professional relationship and nothing more" he said despondently

"James, I never meant to make you feel that way. I just got so caught in this whole bloody mess that it didn't occur to me that you might take it the wrong way" she said apologetically as she tried to wipe away her tears

James just looked at her for a moment, trying to take in what she was saying. He leaned forward and reached up to wipe away the last of her remaining tears and then took her hands in his.

"I feel so incredibly foolish" she said still sniffling

"Why do you feel foolish, you're entitled to have feelings, for God's sake you're not a machine" he said flatly

"I know, but it's this bloody job and all of the rules about personal relationships in the office and with agents that keep buggering things up" she said sounding almost defeated

"So what do we do with these feelings we're not supposed to have for each other?" he asked quietly

"We find a way around the rules" she said sliding off the sofa to kneel in front of him

"I never took you for a rule breaker" he said with a grin as he wrapped his arms around her "But then again I never took you for one to run around London in your Pajamas in the middle of the night either" he said as he looked at how she was dressed

M looked down and discovered that she had been in such a hurry to get to James, she hadn't bothered to get dressed, she had just put her trench coat on over her nightgown and left the house.

"I guess I was in a bit of a hurry" she replied as she began to blush

"Just how did you get here anyway?" he asked curiously "You didn't call you driver did you?"

"No. Actually I discovered that I still had the keys to the company car in my pocket when I left the office so I drove myself home, therefore I have the car at my disposal until morning" she said with a rather weak laugh

"Well. The way I see it you have two choices here. You can either let me drive you home or you can stay here and go home in the morning" he said rather matter of fact "I can't have you driving around town in the middle of the night in your pajamas by yourself, I mean how would you explain that at the investigation in the morning if you were to be caught?"

"I like option two" she said tenderly as she leaned up to kiss him.

James eagerly returned the kiss at first, but then abruptly pulled away.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" he asked in a serious tone looking at the clock

"I know it's late" she answered with a confused look on her face

"You have a very important meeting in a few hours" he said as he stood up and helped her to her feet

"And your point is?"

"As much as I would like to sweep you off you feet and make love to you until the sun comes up, We need you to be in top form" he replied as he slowly guided her toward the bedroom

"Again, your point is?" she asked not quite following his train of thought

"You will stay here tonight with me, but all we're going to do is sleep" he said in a serious tone

"But..." she started to say

"I love you M, but first things first. Let's deal with the present crisis and then we will find a way, I promise" He said pulling her close "We will find a way."


	10. Chapter 10 Let the Games Begin

**For RebaForever15, Sorry about the cliff hanger but since you're about the only one reading I thought you wouldn't mind if I saved the best for a chapter all bu itself. :) enjoy**

M woke the next morning to find herself alone in bed. At first she was a bit confused until she heard James on the phone in the kitchen. She got up and found his dressing gown and made her way to the kitchen just in time to hear James finish his conversation.

"Right then...I'll see you in about an hour." he said as he hung up and turned to see M standing in the doorway.

"Good morning bright eyes" he said as he crossed the room and took her in his arms and kissed her soundly

"Good morning to you too" she said as she hugged him tightly "Who were you talking to just now?" she asked curiously

"What?..Oh that...I was just making sure everything is set for the meeting this morning" he replied as he nuzzled her neck.

"How long have you been up? you're completely dressed already" she said pulling back to look at him.

"I wanted to make sure that we had plenty of time to get you home so that you could get ready since you obviously can't go to the meeting dressed like this" he said with a grin as he began tugging at his dressing gown she was now wearing.

"I suppose you're right" she said with a laugh as she stood on her tip toes to kiss him

"Come on, why don't you get your coat and I'll drop you off at you're flat and head to the office to make sure there aren't any lose ends to tie up before you get there" he said releasing her

"Wouldn't it be easier if you just waited for me?" she asked curiously

"I think, for appearances sake it will look better if you follow your normal routine and call your driver rather than show up with me in tow." he said flatly

"Right. No need to create any more problems than I already have" she said nodding in agreement as she put on her coat.

As she was about to open the door James suddenly put his arms around her waist and pulled her back turning her around so she was facing him.

"This may be the last time I have you alone today and I just wanted to tell you that if you don't remember anything else just remember that I LOVE YOU no matter what happens" he said tenderly as leaned down to kiss her deeply one last time before they left.

"You do realize that if you keep this up we'll never make it out the door" she said breathlessly as he broke the kiss

"Yeah...I know" he said hoarsely "We better get going"

James dropped M off at her flat and continued on to what M thought was the office, but James had made other plans for this morning and instead drove to Whitehall.

It was still rather early so there weren't many people in the building as he made his way up to the office of Gareth Mallory. When he arrived at the office he saw Mr. Mallory's secretary sitting at her desk typing away at her computer.

"Excuse Me" he said clearing his throat "James Bond to see Mr. Mallory"

"Yes Mr. Bond you may go in. He's waiting for you." she said politely as she motioned to the door.

Mallory's office door remained closed for all of about 20 minutes before James reemerged with a few papers in his hand.

"Thank you again for seeing me on such short notice" he said in a very business- like tone

"My pleasure Bond. And remember you will need her signature on those papers or you can take the other option we discussed. I will leave the decision you to you" replied Mallory as he followed James out of his office.

"Yes Sir. See you at the meeting" said James as he headed toward the lift.

True to his word, James had managed to get M home in time to shower and change with enough time left over for her to try to eat a little breakfast before her driver arrived to take her to the office. When she finally arrived at the office there was a flurry of activity as Eve and Tanner were making sure they had everything they needed for the impending meeting.

"Good morning Ma'am" said Eve as M walked in

"Good morning Eve. Anything I should know about before I go?" she asked in her usual no-nonsense tone

"No Ma'am. I think we have the answers to anything they could possible ask including the answer to life the universe and everything " she said with a grin

"Good, Then I guess we're ready" she said turning on her heel and heading back toward the lift with Eve and Tanner following close behind.

When they arrived at Whitehall the sight in the foyer looked like something out of an old western movie with the Cowboys (meaning the Committee members) on one side of the hall and the Indians (meaning M and her team) on the other. Each side glaring at the other. M glanced around the room searching for any sign of James, but she couldn't find him in the sea of people who were waiting for the doors to open. She was just about to start panicking when she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see the most welcome sight she had had since arriving. James was standing behind her with a smug but reassuring smile that immediately put her at ease. Now she was ready. As the doors to the room opened, everyone began to file in each taking their proper place. Committee members behind the large, ominous desk in the front of the room and M and her team at the smaller tables facing them. "Let the games begin" she thought as the huge wooden doors closed and the investigation began.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	11. Chapter 11 Neutral Ground

**For RebaForever15 I tried, I really tried but this was the best I could do. For Prosper the XVIII hope I got her spirit back for you and for GreenVelvetCurtains, Thanks for the chat. it made me feel better. For everyone else I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it**

The meeting went on for hours with accusations from the Committee flying around the room like mosquitoes, and M and her team swiftly squashing each and every one. By the end of the afternoon M and her team had managed to convince all but one Committee member, namely Clare Dower that her actions were appropriate for each mission and her loyalty had never wavered in any way. Even Mallory tried very hard to conceal his amusement as Ms. Dower made one final attempt to gain back the support she had so clearly lost before he called for a final vote. In the end it was decided that M's loyalty to both Queen and Country and her loyalty to her agents were a true testament to her character. M had to smile as Mallory nearly quoted James word for word "Her loyalty to Queen and Country is just as important as her loyalty to her agents. You simply cannot have one without the other". She did feel sorry in an odd sort of way for Clair Dower. She had been so arrogant and confident in the beginning and now she simply looked as though she had swallowed a sour mouse.

As everyone began filing out of the room Mallory quickly caught up with M and pulled her aside as he motioned for James to follow them.

"Mr. Mallory, it has occurred to me that I never properly thanked you for everything you have done for me and my department through all of this." said M with a genuine look of appreciation

"It was my pleasure M. I knew from the start they were trying to railroad you into retirement, and as you have made it painfully clear on more than one occasion you will retire when you are "Bloody well good and ready" I'm just sorry it got this far" he said apologetically

"Was there something you wanted to discuss?" she asked curiously

"Yes...as a matter of fact...Oh Bond. Thank you for joining us" he said as James appeared behind M "Let me come straight to the point. As much as I know you would like nothing better than to get back to work, A situation as come up that will require both of your expertise, so I am sending you on a rather small mission" he said in a rather serious tone

"You mean you want to send ME out into the field?" she said with some alarm

"In a manner of speaking...Yes" he replied flatly

"In case you have forgotten, I haven't been an agent in the field for years. Why don't you let me assign a more appropriate partner for 007" she replied?

"No, this is a rather delicate situation that will require both skill" he said motioning to James "and Tact" he said looking at her

"But surly there must be someone more qualified..." she started to say

"No. It has to be you. This mission must be a success and the only to ensure that is to send you personally." he said firmly

"I see" she said sounding totally confused "Am I to be briefed on this situation?" she asked narrowing her eyes

"I already took the liberty of briefing 007 this morning. He will fill you in on the details while you are en route" he replied as he turned to walk away "And 007, Do take good care of her, we've all worked too hard to lose her now" he said with a slight grin as he brushed past James

"And just what is that supposed to mean" asked M who was clearly irritated

"It means we had best get going if we are to reach our destination before nightfall" he said as he gently grasped her arm in order to guide her to his waiting car just outside the side entrance.

"Where are we going?"

"I can' tell you just yet, It's classified" he said as they walked toward the car

"What the hell is that supposed to mean it's classified. I'm the bloody head of MI6, I'm the one who usually classifies these things!" she said stopping dead in her tracks

James just stopped and turned to look at her with a rather bemused look on his face. "This is not going to be easy" he thought to himself as he took hold of her arm

"Would you just get in the bloody car" he said as he let out a deep sigh

"Fine!" she said with a hint of resentment as she did as she was told.

The drive to their destination left a lot to be desired as James chose the most indirect route he could possibly find and he chose the most uncomfortable car, His own Aston Martin.

"James" she said till slightly annoyed "don't you think it would have been wiser to chose a more inconspicuous car or perhaps one that was a little more comfortable?" She asked

"Are you going to complain the whole way?" he said as he put his hand on the gear shift

"Yes, I know you can eject me, we've done that one already" she replied sarcastically "So are you ever going to enlighten me as to where we're going?"

"Neutral ground" he replied as he turned down a rather bumpy dirt road that eventually led to a paved road. Once the car had hit the pavement M knew exactly where they were.

"Why are we back in Dover?" she asked suspiciously

"I already told you. We're going to neutral ground" he replied as he pulled up outside the same cottage where he had found her a few days earlier.

As they got out of the car James headed for the door while M remained by the car watching his suspiciously.

"Are you coming?" he asked turning back to look at her

She reluctantly followed along behind him as he opened the door and motioned for her to go inside. Once inside James closed the door and quickly pulled her into a deep and tender kiss.

"James" she said as she pulled back gasping for air "Do you really think this is the time for this since we are supposed to be on a mission?" she asked with a half puzzled, half annoyed look on her face

"This is the mission" he replied with a grin as he kissed her again"

"What are you talking about?" she asked breathlessly as she pulled back to look at him

"I told you this morning that I would find a way" he said as he began unbuttoning her blouse

"I know what you said" she replied grasping his hands gently "But what brilliant plan have you come up with"

"Do we really have to talk about this right now?" he said leaning down to kiss her neck

She was finding it harder and harder to concentrate with his lips touching her skin and the more she tried to resist the more she discovered she was definitely losing this battle. She found herself unbuttoning his shirt allowing her access to his chest where she began to place soft kisses, as he continued to kiss her all the while maneuvering her backward toward the bedroom, discarding each other's clothing as they went. My God she wanted him more than she had ever wanted anyone, and it was clearly evident that he wanted her as well. When they finally reached the bedroom the only clothing remaining was their undergarments which were quickly discarded as he picked her up and gently laid her on the bed. The look in her eyes told him everything he needed to know as he gently began to make love to her. At first he was afraid of hurting her but after giving her a moment to adjust to him she responded with soft moans of pleasure and gentle but eager kisses causing him to nearly explode as he continued his steady rhythm. When they had finished they were both completely exhausted and content to just lay in each other's arms, with an occasional kiss or caress.

"Are you alright?" he asked sounding a bit concerned, as gently kissed her temple

"Never better" she replied as she ran her hand softly across his chest

"James" she said quietly "You do realize that this is completely inappropriate behavior. I mean after everything we've just been through what on earth possessed you to do this?" she asked in a somewhat serious tone "Do you have any idea of how much trouble this would cause if anyone ever found out?"

"We won't be in any trouble at all" he replied reaching down to tilt her face up so he could look at her "We have permission"

"We have what!" she said sitting up and covering herself with the blanket

"I said we have permission"

"Permission from who?" she demanded angrily

"Mallory" replied James with a slight smile

"OH Great! Just who the hell does he think he is giving me permission to sleep with one of my own agents? And who the hell do you think you are asking him in the first place?" she said glaring at him

"Calm down" said James with a laugh "I didn't exactly ask him if I could make love to you"

"Then what the hell did you ask him?"

"I simply went to see him this morning to ask him what our options were"

"Oh really! This ought to be good" she replied sarcastically

"I simply explained to him how we feel about each other and asked what the proper procedures are in this type of situation, and he gave me basically four options"

"Do any of them happen to include the length of time I will be spending in prison after I kill you?" she asked angrily

"Well two of the options are completely out of the question, so there's no sense discussing them which leaves us with the remaining two and it is up to you as to which one we chose"

"OH FINALLY. Something is my decision" she said sharply "I have never been so humiliated in my entire life"

James leaned over and put his arm around her pulling her close as he kissed her forehead

"Don't you even want to know what the options are?" he asked softly

"Go ahead. Dazzle me with your brilliance" she replied

"Well there is option one where we formally declare our relationship and sign some sort of pointless paper about how we won't let it get in the way of our jobs, and I still have to keep my distance in the office, no public displays of affection.. blah blah blah. That one will require your signature on the form which I just happen to have with me."

"Great public humiliation at its finest" she replied clearly not amused

"Or there is always option two" he said gently turning her face toward his so he could look in her eyes

"And just what is option two?" she asked as she stared back at him

"We could dispense with all of this political nonsense and you could just marry me" he replied softly

"Did you just say…?"

"As it was pointed out to me. If you are my wife no one can say a thing about our relationship, and I am free to kiss you anytime I damn well please without the risk of either of us being written up or fired." He said with a grin.

M was completely speechless as she continued to stare at James with an expression he couldn't quite pin down

"Did you hear what I said?"

"I….I…I'm sorry could you repeat the question" she said in a rather shaky voice

"I said will you marry me?"

All M could do was nod as she had suddenly lost her ability to form a complete, coherent sentence.

"I take it that's a yes?" he said kissing her gently

"I have to admit I had considered our options this morning but this is one I hadn't considered" she finally said when she had recovered her voice

"Well there are a few other perks with this" he said with a wicked grin

"Oh and just what might those be?"

"For starters I get to use the front door, I won't be drinking all of your best scotch because it will be our best scotch, and the best perk aside from being able to be with you all the time is that I can use your real name and there's not a damn thing you can do about it" he said with a wide grin

"That's what you think" she smirked as she leaned back pulling him on top of her

"I love you M" he said as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her soundly

"I Love you too James"

~fin~


End file.
